Improvement in leather-splitting machines



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1863.

B. ROWE.

LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE,

BRADFORD sown, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38.763, dated June 2, 1863.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRADFoRD. ROWE, of

' the city of Albany, State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Leather- Splitting Machines; and I declare the following specification, with .the drawings attached hereto and formingpart thereof, to be a full 'and'complete description of my invention.

Figurel represents in perspective a splitting-machine of the common form in use with myapparatus attached; Fig. 2, a profile section. through its center; Fig. 3, a plan view, with the gage-plate removed to show the springs that operate underneath it.

Similarletters denote the same parts of the apparatus. G A A is a strong frame or table, with a sunk plate ,or top, B B, (see Fig. 2,) extending nearly 'to the back of the table. Above it, and resting upon the upper ledges of the sides and back of the table, which rise a few inches above B, is 'a frame, O,'upon the sides and near the back of which are two standards; D D, or. stout rods, upon which, supported by stout spiral sprin gs F, which encircle the rods, are bosses E E, upon which is pivoted the .swinging frame G, which carries at its lower 4 ends the gage-roller H, by which is regulated the thickness of the'split of the leather. Upon the back ledge of the frame 0 is'fixed the splitting-knife K, (see Figs 2 and 3,) whose point lies just under the center of the roller. The thicknessof the leather dcsiredis graduated by the space between it and the roller,

. which is adjusted by the action of the sprin gs I F, and the nuts J J, screwing npon threads cut upon the upper ends of the rods D 1). Upon the front part of the frame (3 is fastened the gage-plate. L, being a steel plate" extending from the front bar of the frame in line with and nearly to the edge of the knife K,

the space between their edges being gradu ated'to thesize of the split or shaving to be taken from the leather. .Now, this plate, although slightly elastic, is inflexible, and whenever thick spots in the skin come to the roller, if it be forced through between the roller and the knife, the hold of the knife upon the leather is'so rank that it often cuts up obliquely into theskin, sometimes through it, and invari'ablyeatsup into it, (technically called galling,) so as to make both leather and split uneven in thickness, requiring the work to be finished by hand. Besides this, the;

usual machines are intended for the splitting of large-that-is, beevesskins, and not calfskins, for which my improvements are intended, because the shank-pieces--th at is, the

parts of irregular thicknesses from'the legs of the calf-which form the flanks of the shin to produce a cutting of equal thickness throughout its length 'and breadth, and, besides, to

save in the split or shavingleather useful for shoemakih'g or other purposes, and to do this without hand labor of much amount is the object of my invention. .1 make thegageplate L of steel so thin as to be very flexible,

as well as elastic. It lies upon the frame 0,

but is secured to a movable plate, M, which lies upon the sunk top B through the standards N. (See Fig. 2.) Plate M is secured to B by screwsn n, passing through slots, in order to allow of its adjustment in reference to the knite as it wears away by use. Upon plate M are fastened springs S S, whose upper edges supportthe back edge of the gageplate L, holding it, up close to the roller. I add, if need be, as auxiliary, strong spiral springs 9., (see Fig. 2,) underlying the back ends of S. These springs are placed as near to each other as may be convenient, so as to operate on as many points as may be along the edge of L.

It will be manifest that by this arrangement whenever a thick spot of the skin reaches the roller, that part of the gage-plate under it will bend down, or if athin spot, will rise up, thus keeping the thickness of the leather between the roller and'knife equal, whether the uneven spots extend along the whole length of the roller or for only a part of its surface. To permit the plate L to bend freely in the di' rection of its length-that is, from side to side-the screws 6 e, which secure it to the standards N N, pass through slots, and are not screwed down tight.

I employ in my frame a roller, whose central part, H, shall be of the length suitable for the width of a split through the center of the skin, avoiding the flanks, the ends h h being so much smaller in diameter thanH as 'to pass the shank-pieces.

Whenever splits of different widths are needed, according to the sizes of the skins, a

which connects it by a loop, W, with the.

treadle X. The ends of the treadles unite in a bar, Z. The operator, by placing his foot upon the bar, can depress the edge of the gage-platewhenever it becomes necessary to adjust the skin between it and the'roller.

- The machine is worked in this manner: The space between the knife and roller is adjusted by the screws and nuts J J to suit the thickness of the desired leather. Then the gageplate, by the screws n n, is adjusted in verti cal line with the edge of the knife, but alittle above it, this being done to hold up the shankpie :es above that part of the knife lying under the h h parts of the roller. Then the roller is swung up, as shown by the dotted iines in Fig. 2, and the skin laidupon the gage-plate in proper position for cutting. The roller is now brought down to its place, when the H part presses the skin and gage-plate to its proper position before the edge of the knife,

carrying of the shanks, nothing is lost, the.

greatest part of the work having been done by the machine.

This machine is eminently calculated to out the bevels for leather belting in the most perfeet manner.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following devices, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth in this specification,

viz-z l. The elastic'and flexible gage-plate, in combination with the springs employed to keep-its edge duly pressed upward toward the roller.

2. The roller having a center and side di-' visions of difl'erent diameters, the center di-- vision being the largest and the others similar to each other, in combination with the knife and gage-plate. v

3. The treadles, in combination with the rods and springs.

: BRADFORD ROWE.

Witnesses:

RICHD. VARIGK DE WITT, E. I. MILLER. 

